Fire guts Adidas godown

A fire gutted a warehouse of sporting goods major Adidas in Gurgaon. It took about 22 hours, 72 firemen and 100 fire tenders to quell the fire that started on Monday afternoon. Sanjeev K Ahuja reports.

A fire gutted a warehouse of sporting goods major Adidas in Gurgaon. It took about 22 hours, 72 firemen and 100 fire tenders to quell the fire that started on Monday afternoon.

There were rumours that two employees were missing in the fire in the factory located near Kherkidaula village at 42nd milestone just off NH-8. But company officials said only one of their employees was still not accounted for.

Eight firemen, including the district fire officer, were injured when the three-storey building collapsed early on Tuesday. All firemen are reported to be out of danger.

Deodorant chemicals added fuel to the fire, officials said.

The warehouse, built on two acres, caught fire around 4 pm during tea break.

The warehouse stocked apparel and deodorant containers. The exact cause of the fire is not known yet. Both the fire department, as well as company officials, denied there were human casualties.

The fire broke out and spread in no time as the warehouse had stocked deodorant chemicals in the basement.

It engulfed all three floors and the basement and resulted in towering flames.

“Some of the workers were seen jumping off the building with the help of the ropes. We have no reports of missing workers,” said the injured district fire officer H.S. Sihag.

“As a big explosion took place at 1.30 am, probably because of a deodorant drum blast, the building collapsed. A pillar fell on me and other firemen too got trapped ,” Sihag said.

In a written statement, Adidas said: “There is one employee still not accounted for and there are no other reports on loss of life or severe injuries. Our focus is on ensuring full support to the authorities. We would like to clarify that all requisite fire safety norms were in place. We appreciate the rapid response from the emergency services and we are giving their investigation every assistance.”